Indicator light terminal

ABSTRACT

This invention is directed at an indicator terminal having tangs with sharp points adapted to engage against the wall of the indicator housing and adapted to form their own engagement tracks as well as prevent loosening of the terminal from the housing once the terminal is fully engaged.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Frederick J Ryan Franklin, Mass.

[2!] Appl. No. 686,890

[22] Filed Nov. 30, 1967 [4S] Patented June 15,1971

[73] Assignee United-Carr Incorporated Boston, Mass.

[54] INDICATOR LIGHT TERMINAL I Claim, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 340/381, 339/221 [51] Int. Cl t G08b 5/00 [50] Field of Search 340/381;

[ 56) References Cited UNITED S'I T ATES PATENTS 3/1943 Brownstein r v 339/22IX 2,465,753 3/1949 RossJr. 340/381 3,329,95 I 7/1967 Ryan 340/381 Primary Examiner.lohn Wv Caldwell Assistant Examiner-Michael Slobasky A!!0meyS Philip E. Parker, Gordon Needleman, James R.

O'Connor, John Todd and Hall & Houghton ABSTRACT: This invention is directed at an indicator terminal having tangs with sharp points adapted to engage against the wall of the indicator housing and adapted to form their own engagement tracks as well as prevent loosening of the terminal from the housing once the terminal is fully engaged.

INDICATOR LIGHT TERMINAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many modern indicator assemblies comprise a bulb having a pair of spaced wires extending therefrom, a housing having openings to receive each of the wires and to receive leads which in turn are engaged to the wires through fastener terminals. In present constructions the bulb is held in fixed relation to the housing by bow stitching the leads together after they have been passed through the housing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a terminal clip that has a pair of flexible barbs extending forwardly in angular relation to each other, Each barb has a free terminal end extended beyond the plane of the side edge of the terminal clip body. The distance between the points formed by the outside edge and the terminal edge of each of the tangs isgreater than the inside width or diameter of the channel of the housing with which the terminal is engaged.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the harness and a housing;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the terminal clip shown in FIG. I engaged to a lead (broken off) and a lamp conductor lead (broken off); and

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the terminal clip shown in FIG. 2 engaged within a channel of a housing, shown in section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED ENIBODIMENTS There is shown in the drawings, a terminalclip comprising a base portion having a rectangular ear 12 extending from each side edge thereof adjacent a terminal edge 14. A rectangular engagement portion 16 extends from each side edge of the base portion 10, spaced from the ears l2 and adjacent a second terminal edge 18 opposite from the terminal edge 14. A pair of flexible tangs 20 extend forwardly from the second terminal edge 18 on a continuation of the plane of the base portion 10. The inner edges of the tang 20 define an angle of 90 or any convenient angle and the free terminal ends 22 are formed to provide a forward edge which lies on a plane at right angles to the long axis of the clip and which forms an acute angle with the outside edge of the tang 20.

A harness is assembled by connecting one of the lamp conductor leads 24 of a bulb 26 to a current-limiting resistor 28 and then to a terminal clip and the other lamp conductor lead 24 directly to a terminal clip. Each of the terminal clips is then engaged to an insulated conductor 30. The conductor 30 is stripped at one end to provide a bare conductor portion 32 and the ears I2 of the terminal clip are wrapped about the insulation of the conductor 30 while the engagement portions 16 are crimped on to the bare conductor portion 32 and the lamp conductor lead 24 to provide a physical and electrical connection between the bulb 26 and the conductors 30 completing the harness.

The harness can be engaged to an indicator housing formed of a polymeric material, such as nylon, which is softerthan the conductive material used to form the terminal clip. The indicator housing comprises a bulb-retaining portion 34 within which the bulb 26 lies and an integral lead-retaining portion 36 extending from the bulb-retaining portion 34. The leadretaining portion 36 has a pair of channels 38 axially formed therethrough usually separated by a barrier portion and having an internal shoulder 40 formed remote from the bulbretaining portion 34 as shown in FIG. 3. An embodiment of the type of indicator housing which can be used with the instant harness is disclosed in the US. Pat. to Ryan, No. 3,329,951. The first step in assembling the harness with the housing is to pass the free ends of the insulated conductors 30 through the bulb-retaining ortion and into the channels 38 of the lead-retaining portion 6. As the leads 30 are pulled into the channels 38 the free terminal ends 22 of the tangs 20 bite into the walls of the channels 38 forming shallow slots therein. The slots are formed until the terminal edge 14 butts against the internal shoulder 40 formed in the channel 38, At this time, due to the slight inward flexing of the tangs 20 as well as to their angular relationship with the walls of the channel, the assembly is now fixed in position and can neither be pulled further down or pushed out of the channel.

It is possible to provide a solid extension whose outer edges would be angled similar to the tangs 20 and whose upper surface or end edge would provide the acute angle. This type of engagement means would be more difficult to engage because of the lack of flexibility; however, it would be more efficient if you were engaging against comparatively hard materials.

With reference to the foregoing description, it is to be understood that what has been disclosed herein represents only a few embodiments of the invention and is to be construed as illustrative rather than restrictive in nature and that the invention is best described by the following claim.

I claim:

l. The assembly of an indicator harness and a housing, said housing comprising a bulb having a pair of lamp conductor leads extending therefrom, a first and second conductor lead, each of said conductor leads having a bare terminal end and a pair of terminals, each of said terminals comprising a base portion having a rear edge and a forward edge, said forward edge having a pair of flexible tangs extending forwardly therefrom, each of said tangs having a lead edge and a side edge defining an acute angle, the base portion and the tang being on the same plane and the lead edge being in parallel relation to the forward edge, the apexes of said acute angles being spaced apart a distance greater than the width of said base portion and each of said terminals having means of engaging said lamp 

1. The assembly of an indicator harness and a housing, said housing comprising a bulb having a pair of lamp conductor leads extending therefrom, a first and second conductor lead, each of said conductor leads having a bare terminal end and a pair of terminals, each of said terminals comprising a base portion having a rear edge and a forward edge, said forward edge having a pair of flexible tangs extending forwardly therefrom, each of said tangs having a lead edge and a side edge defining an acute angle, the base portion and the tang being on the same plane and the lead edge being in parallel relation to the forward edge, the apexes of said acute angles being spaced apart a distance greater than the width of said base portion and each of said terminals having means of engaging said lamp conductor means and said conductor leads and said housing having a pair of axial channels formed therethrough, each of said channels having an internal shoulder and the width of each of said channels being less than the distance between the apexes of said tangs and said first conductor lead extending through one of said channels and said second conductor lead extending through the other channel and said apexes of said tangs being in biting engagement with the walls of said channels and said rear edge of said base portion butted against said internal shoulder of said channel. 